Passenger assist strap

Abstract

This present invention relates to transportation and more particularly to a passenger assist strap and clamp for a vehicle, such as, a bus, shuttle, or subway. The passenger assist strap comprises a strap with a tuck loop at a first end and a pin at a second end and the strap forms a top loop starting at the first end and a bottom loop ending at the second end wherein the middle portion of the strap between the top loop and bottom loop is sandwiched in between the first end and the second end and the tuck loop loops over the second end under the pin. The strap may be a double layer of strap and the tuck loop and pin may be positioned in folds of the strap. The clamp has a male clamp and a female clamp with attachment means to attach the male clamp to the female clamp. To attach the clamp to the passenger assist strap, the male clamp is positioned over the first end of the strap and the female clamp is positioned over the second end of the strap, and wherein the female clamp has female clamp sides each with a V-shaped groove comprised of an upper pin groove along which the end portions of the pin slide into and a lower tuck loop groove along which the tuck loop slides into.

We claim: 
     
       1. A passenger assist strap and clamp comprising a passenger assist strap and a clamp, wherein the passenger assist strap comprises a tuck loop, a pin having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a strap having a first end and a second end, the tuck loop is attached to the strap at the first end and the pin is attached to the strap at the second end such that the end portions of the pin extend beyond a width of the strap, the strap is folded to bring the second end of the strap adjacent a middle portion between the first end and the second end of the strap to form a bottom loop, and the bottom loop is threaded through the tuck loop until the tuck loop abuts against the end portions of the pin, and wherein the clamp comprises an interlocking male clamp and a female clamp, and wherein the male clamp attaches to the female clamp by attachment means to securely attach the clamp to the passenger assist strap such that the female clamp covers the strap where the tuck loop abuts against the end portions of the pin. 
     
     
       2. The passenger assist strap and clamp of  claim 1 , wherein the female clamp has female clamp sides each with a V-shaped groove comprising an upper pin groove along which the end portions of the pin slide into and a lower tuck loop groove along which the tuck loop slides into. 
     
     
       3. The passenger assist strap and clamp of  claim 2 , in which the attachment means comprises holes in male clamp, ports in the female clamp sides and screws which pass through the holes and screw into the ports and which screws do not pass through the strap. 
     
     
       4. The passenger assist strap and clamp of  claim 3 , in which the male clamp additionally comprises male clamp sides which cover the female clamp sides. 
     
     
       5. The passenger assist strap and clamp of  claim 4 , in which the passenger assist strap is comprised of more than one layer of strap. 
     
     
       6. The passenger assist strap and clamp of  claim 4 , wherein the strap of the passenger assist strap is comprised of a length of strap folded over to create a double thickness of strap, and the tuck loop is attached to the strap by the length of strap folding over the tuck loop, and the pin is attached to the strap by the length of the strap folding over the pin, and the double thickness of strap is secured together.